UK Licensed Marine Disposal Sites GIS Layer

A GIS Shapefile showing the extents of all Licensed Marine Disposal Sites for the UK, its Crown Dependencies, and Overseas Territories. The dataset is maintained by the Government Digital Service and includes sites regulated under the London Convention/Protocol of the International Maritime Organisation. Sites are classified as Open, Disused, or Closed based on their licensing activity within the last 5 to 10 years.

Use Cases

• Mapping and analyzing the spatial distribution of marine waste disposal sites based on the GIS extents.
• Monitoring regulatory compliance and site status changes based on the Open, Disused, and Closed classifications.
• Supporting environmental impact assessments for coastal and offshore projects based on proximity to designated disposal areas.
• Studying the history of marine waste management based on the distinction between historic/legacy sites and new sites.

Strengths

• Covers the entire UK, including England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
• Provides a clear operational status classification (Open, Disused, Closed) based on a defined 5- and 10-year licensing rule.
• Distinguishes between historic/legacy sites and new sites, offering temporal context for analysis.

Limitations

• Row count, file size, and specific column-level documentation are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• The description does not specify the license, which may restrict usage.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Designated and reported to the IMO biennially and OSPAR annually as part of treaty compliance.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated is unknown.

Geography

United Kingdom, including England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and Isle of Man.